Create a sense of seclusion in your garden even if your neighbors are the friendliest on the block. Although wooden or metal fences will always do the trick, planting tall, quickly-growing trees is a much more attractive option to fence off your territory.
To demarcate your land from your neighbor’s, evergreen, cypress, blooming trees, and other species can be planted near one another to form a lush green fence or living wall.
Consider the size of your property when choosing trees for seclusion. Small backyards may call for a tall, narrow alternative like an Italian Cypress, while larger lots require trees with a wider reach like a Weeping Willow.
Table of Contents
Best Privacy Trees for Backyard
- Leyland Cypress Tree (Cuprocyparis leylandii)
- Italian Cypress Tree (Cupressus sempervirens)
- Flowering Dogwood Tree (Cornus Florida)
- Thuja Green Giant (Thuja standishii x plicata)
- Weeping Willow Tree (Salix babylonica)
- Emerald Green Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’)
- Cherry Blossom Tree (Prunus serrulata)
- Nellie Stevens Holly (‘Nellie R. Stevens’)
- Thundercloud Plum Tree (Prunus cerasifera)
- Yew (Taxus baccata)
- Rhododendron (Rhododendron arboreum)
- Skip Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’)
- Juniper (Juniperus communis)
- Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis)
- Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)
- Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)
1. Leyland Cypress Tree (Cuprocyparis leylandii)
After a few growing seasons, this blue-green tree will produce a fully green fence. This pyramidal evergreen can grow to a height of 70 feet when completely mature and unpruned. Despite being quite resilient and low-maintenance, they thrive in soil that drains well and receives partial to full sunlight.
2. Italian Cypress Tree (Cupressus sempervirens)
This well-liked Cypress, which has a long, lean profile, may fit into small spaces while still adding height to your backyard. Despite not spreading out, most trees can grow up to three feet annually, growing to a height of 35 to 40 feet in about ten years. In full to partial sun (at least four to eight hours of sunlight daily), they may survive drought conditions and thrive.
3. Flowering Dogwood Tree (Cornus Florida)
Even while the white blooms may only bloom for a few weeks or months, the trees provide a stunning backdrop all year long. These low-maintenance beauties also have lustrous summer green leaves and red autumn berries.
To give the dogwood lots of time to flourish, try to plant it in the spring while the earth is moist. For your information, it does well with weekly watering and with partial shade.
4. Thuja Green Giant (Thuja standishii x plicata)
It’s simple to grow a dense, dark green privacy screen. Once grown, Thuja Green Giant requires just four hours of direct sunlight each day and frequent watering for the first six months before it can grow three to five feet per year. The majority of insects and diseases don’t affect it.
5. Weeping Willow Tree (Salix babylonica)
Any backyard, big or small, is made more dramatic and elegant by the arching branches of a Weeping Willow tree. when routinely pruned when still young.
Weeping willows have a 50-foot maximum height. Make sure they are watered weekly throughout the first year after planting, then as needed during the tree’s later years, and place them anywhere from full sun to partial shade.
6. Emerald Green Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’)
Since they grow up, not out, and can only grow to a maximum height of 15 feet, they perform best in small settings. Just be sure to place the trees in full sun or some shade, and at least three feet apart. Water it twice each week at first, then reduce the amount to one inch per week after about three months.
7. Cherry Blossom Tree (Prunus serrulata)
Put a blanket of pink and white petals across your backyard. This blossoming tree can grow up to 20 feet tall and wide. It needs well-draining soil and at least six hours of direct sunlight each day to grow and blossom.
8. Nellie Stevens Holly (‘Nellie R. Stevens’)
The Nellie Stevens Holly is technically a shrub, although it towers over other shrubs, growing to a height of 25 feet. our tolerant shrub stays green all year long, even in the sweltering summer heat, unlike some of the other privacy trees on our list.
To grow a living wall that will eventually reach a height of 15 to 25 feet, space each Nellie Stevens Holly at least five to six feet apart. They come in a natural pyramidal shape, as seen here, or you can prune them to become a tall box hedge.
9. Thundercloud Plum Tree (Prunus cerasifera)
Don’t be misled by the name; although this plum tree’s leaves have a similar purple tint, it doesn’t always produce fruit. When fully grown, the mid-size type has a spread and height of about 20 feet, adding color to any backyard area. During the first year after planting, it grows best in full light and with frequent watering.
10. Yew (Taxus baccata)
This perennial evergreen can endure most environmental conditions. Some of the types can reach heights of up to 20 feet and bear little red berries that resemble holly berries when grown in soil that drains well and receives full sun to partial shade.
There are many various sorts of yews, including low-growing variants, but borders and screens function best with the tall pyramidal or upright variety. They can withstand extreme cold, and some types may endure some shade.
11. Rhododendron (Rhododendron arboreum)
In the spring, this broadleaf evergreen bears lovely flowers. It’s an adaptable, uncomplicated shrub able to adapt to many soil conditions.
It is a favorite in part-shaded gardens and comes in a variety of hues, from coral to lavender. Many types grow to a height of 10 feet, so grouping a few for planting can eventually result in a dense screen.
12. Skip Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’)
These attractive evergreen features dense foliage that can be let to grow naturally or trained into a hedge shape, as well as glossy, evergreen foliage with spikes of white flowers in the spring.
Because it tolerates poor soil and is resistant to deer, skip laurel is a favorite among landscape architects. It even functions in the shade.
13. Juniper (Juniperus communis)
Junipers come in a wide range of forms and types, and their hues range from blue-green to gold. With certain varieties growing clusters of blue-green fruits with a fine texture and graceful form, upright forms make attractive screens.
14. Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis)
This quick-growing evergreen comes in a variety of sizes and shapes. Arbs can grow from a few feet to more than 30 feet tall and take the shape of a circle, column, or pyramid. Most animals don’t require shearing to keep their shape.
They are sturdy and grow quickly, but if you have a deer problem, use caution. They come in a variety of heights and are the closest thing to instant solitude there is.
15. Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)
There is a hydrangea kind that can flourish in practically any place in the United States! Although hydrangeas are essentially shrubs, certain varieties grow quickly and create a vibrant screen.
They are incredibly stunning bushes, and their blossoms remain until they freeze. They bloom from early to late summer. The papery flowers are still there throughout winter, adding interest to the landscape.
Read the label to find out what you’re getting because there are many different types and sizes. For privacy screening, the cultivars “Vanilla Strawberry,” “Fire Light,” and “Endless Summer” are suitable.
16. Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)
One of the last shrubs in the garden to bloom in the late summer is this one. Large, eye-catching flowers in hues ranging from light pink to blue to purple characterize the Rose of Sharon. This shrub may not immediately spring to mind as a privacy plant, but it looks great planted in a group or lose row.
When many other plants are winding down in the late summer, the strange-looking blossoms begin to bloom. Private and colorful? Please, yes!
Conclusion
As we have seen, trees are very good both for decoration and aerobic purposes. So, when you decide to plant a tree in your backyard you can consider one of these trees we have discussed above.
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A passion-driven environmentalist by heart. Lead content writer at EnvironmentGo.
I strive to educate the public about the environment and its problems.
It has always been about nature, we ought to protect not destroy.